Assembly District 48

Former warehouse employee and paralegal Melissa Ratcliff has been involved in Dane County politics since being elected to the Cottage Grove Village Board in 2018. Since then, she has served three terms on the Dane County Board and one term in the State Assembly, all while continuing her paralegal career. Ratcliff now plans to serve as a full-time legislator working to increase investment in roads and public safety, ensure safe communities for our LGBTQ+ neighbors, and create more affordable housing. She is also a strong supporter of reproductive freedom and will fight Republican efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion measures. Melissa Ratcliff is unopposed in this race and is the progressive choice.

Attorney and former legislative aide Andrew Hysell has over twenty years of public policy experience and plans to use his expertise to represent the 48th Assembly District. Hysell has worked to holistically support veterans, advocated for public education in underserved rural areas, and supported a nonprofit seeking to lower the cost of prescription drugs. He believes in legalizing cannabis, supporting small businesses, and investing in protection for our natural resources. Hysell also has promised, on day one of the new legislative session, to introduce an amendment to the state constitution expressly codifying the right to privacy - the right to choose an abortion, the right to marry who we love, and a right to contraception. He is opposed by Republican candidate Lisa Rubrich. Andrew Hysell is the progressive choice in this race.